Fanning-mill hopper



(No Model.)

0. H. PRENTISS & P. WALKER.

PANNING MILL HOPPER.

No. 333,546. Patented Jan. 5, 1886.

I21 wen Mr.

her. Wishm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. PRENTISS, OF OTSEGO, AND PETER WVALKER, OF LAWTON, MICHIGAN.

FANNlNG-MILL HOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.333,546. dated January 5. 1886.

Application filed April 14,1885. Serial No. 162,177. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

-Be it known that we, CHARLES H. PRENTISS and PETER WALKER, citizens of the United States, the former residing at Otsego, county of Allegan, State of Michigan, the latter residing at Lawton, Van Buren county, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Fanning-Mill Hopper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object certain improvements, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings forming apart of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front inclined bottom board of the hopper and connected parts. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a fanning-mill hopper, showing broken contiguous parts; and Fig. 3 shows details of parts in Fig. 1 in enlarged perspective, indicated by like reference-letters.

Referring to the drawings and the letters marked thereon, F is one of the four side walls of the upper or hopper part of a fanning-mill casing.

P is the rear inclined bottom board of the mill-hopper, and B the front inclined bottom board, abutting against the upper face of the board P at the lower edge.

A broken screen-frame is shown at S, to indicate the relation of the parts in a fanningmill. To the left hand of Fig. 2 the fan is located, said fan not being here shown. The board B has a discharge-opening central and at the lower side, which is opened and closed by a sliding gate, D, the thinned edges e e of which play in the grooves of the cleats on. The lower side of the gate D is beveled to fit the incline of the board P when the gate is closed.

Heretofore the hopper-gates of fanningmills and the means to operate the same, so far as our knowledge extends, have been either complicated and expensive or difficult and slow to operate.

To simplify construction, and at the same time facilitate the operation, is the intent of the following-described details.

The operating-lever ais pivotally connected at its lower end with the under side of the front hopper-board, B, at a point above the upper side of the gate and a little to one side of the center, Fig. 1. This lever a is passed through an elongated slot of a cleat, c, which cleat forms a brace-rest for the upper end of the hopper-board B, Fig. 2. By means of this slot the operatinglever a is held up to place against the under face of the board B.

n is ahandle projection to operate the lever by. e is a stop-pin to limit the sweep of the lever a when raising the gate D. This stop connects with the board B. A lifting-bar, r, is pivotally connected at its lower end with the upper edge of the gate D in an elongated slot, Fig. 3, to give the bar r a sufficient sweep and an even purchase on the gate. The upper end of the lifting-bar a" is pivotally connected with the operating-lever between its center and lower end, as in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 1 the gate D is open.

Such a construction is cheap, simple, and is quickly and conveniently operated.

It will be observed that the gate, connecting-rod, and lever all move in a plane parallel to the slant of the hopper-board, to which they are secured, thus being properly supported in their movements, and none of the parts project out from the mill in the way.

Deeming the operation and utility of our invention will be readily understood from the foregoing, and the knowledge of those skilled in the art, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a fanning-mill hopper, the combination of the inclined board having the discharge opening, the sliding gate to said opening, having the slot in its upper edge, the lifting-bar pivoted at its lower end in said slot, the operating-lever pivoted at its lower end to said board, a slotted brace-cleat at the upper edge of the board, in the slot of which the operating-lever plays, said lever being pivotally connected with the upper end of the liftingbar, and a stop projection to limit the play of the operating-lever, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. PRENTISS. PETER WALKER.

lVitnesses:

J. A. FRANKLIN, GEO. D. B. HALL. 

